Unless
by Scooter12345
Summary: And since that day Ted calls Once-ler's Lekrim his home. Considering requests.
1. Unless someone like you

**A One-Shot I thought of while watching the Lorax with my brother yesterday/ this morningish. **

Unless. . .

You know so many people think I left that word for Beanpole. I chuckle because I did leave it for him, but I left it for me too.

You know I spent _so much time _thinking about the trees that I missed everything. I missed Beanpole's reasons. I didn't care. I couldn't have cared less if he starved himself to death as she poked him and prodded him with her harsh words. I couldn't have cared less if the kid keeled over and died the day he came. I _just cared _about the trees.

I realized when I looked at that word. Yes, Beanpole could have cared about the trees. I could, however, have cared a little about him too. I tried sending him down river. I tried kicking his family out. I suppose, in retrospect that was the only thing I did right.

I wish. Oh how I wish he would have told me sooner. I wish I could have cared a little more. I wish I could have looked past the trees and gotten the whole forest. I wish.

I wish I could have cared.

It was like I told the kid, unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better it's not.

I wish I could have seen I wasn't perfect and the kid wasn't the only one who was making a mistake. Now just like him, I have to live with the guilt of watching him lock himself away from the people he loves. I have to leave him to suffer.

And you know what the worst part is?

It feels like it's all my fault.

**I honestly don't know if I'll just group all Lorax One-Shots into one story. But you know what? I might. If you want me to write something I'll take a theme IF I can make it work.**

**Here are my rules:**

**Please no Oncest or slash (I've never done it so it's going to turn out like butt if I try)**

**Other than that I think I'm fine. **


	2. I'm Happy

**Here goes nothing. This was requested by my close friend on DA nightythecat who has requested a Ted and O'Hare featured one-shot Post-Lorax. **

**Again here goes.**

He was a looser once and now he was a looser again. He would always be a looser. From his huge glasses, to his once dorky braces, to his short stature he'd always and forever be nothing more than a tiny looser in a big way.

He sometimes wished he could have had what the Once-ler had. His old boss almost had a scapegoat. He was so sick by the time his company fell he couldn't possibly be to blame. Yet, his old boss blamed himself for everything.

O'Hare realized when the seed came to town he blamed everyone, but himself. He blamed Ted most of all. He secluded himself in a far sector opposite the town. He realized how far his old boss had been from blame was how close to it he was.

Ted heard all the people in Thneedville rejoicing that O'Hare had left. He on the other hand was not so moved to joy. The one thought that burned intensely on his 13 year old mind was the image of the Once-ler, secluded and lonely.

Ted knocked on the business man's door. He shifted. This was so awkward.

"Go away!" O'Hare's voice came. "I'm busy."

"Mr. O'Hare it's Ted." He said nervously.

"What do you want?" O'Hare called.

"Can you just let me in?" Ted asked a bit annoyed. "I had to ride forever and my scooters almost out of gas. I have another stop to make today too." Ted sent the message with Audrey hopefully he'd understand. The thought he would.

"Fine, door 's open anyway." Ted opened the door and walked inside.

He was surprised. O'Hare didn't use any money on this place if he had any left.

"Had to pay quite a few paychecks after everything went sour," O'Hare chuckled to himself darkly. "Oh and damages to the environment, had to pay for that. Oh and my favorite was the bill for the legal fees."

Ted winced. People really hated him that much?

It was as much their responsibility as O'Hare's. He may have locked them out but no one had ever asked questions or thought to do anything about it. Well, except for Audrey and him and the handful like them.

"It's not all your fault," Ted said.

O'Hare turned to Ted and looked at him like he was nuts.

"It's not. People could have done more. They just don't like blaming themselves, unless you're a friend of mine, but he's a special case." Ted said his eyes twinkling.

"I know who you're talking about and more than you know Ted." O'Hare said thinking fondly about his old boss.

He really was one of the kindest, gentlest and sweetest bosses he'd had. His mother took over the company after her son fell so ill he couldn't handle the business side of things and that's when everything fell to pieces.

"I shouldn't tell you that story Ted. You might go soft for him," O'Hare said bitterly.

"I highly doubt he'd want it told anyway. However, you I am interested in. Why air?"

"It rhymed with my name and it was necessary I knew I could make a profit."

Ted took this as good business and continued.

"What was your relationship to the Once-ler? If you don't mind my asking, you seemed sort of . . . I don't know . . . were you friends?"

"He was my boss . . ." _and my friend_ O'Hare thought. "Something happened to him that I don't like thinking about. He needed the air and I supplied it. It was . . . it was bad Ted."

Ted thought that was interesting.

"But he secluded himself . . ."

"Not before going to a hospital first," O'Hare said.

"What? That never came up."

"He wouldn't have wanted it too."

"Do you have secrets too?" Ted asked starting to wonder about Once-ler's past and well being.

"Plenty."

"Spill, I've got time." Ted said with a smile.

Ted sat on the sofa with O'Hare.

"You want anything?" The business man said loosening up around the teen. "I think I've got lemonade or something."

"Sure," Ted grinned. The two of them sat in a rather awkward silence as Ted just stared at him begging him to start his story.

"Where to start," the business man thought after a time. "Well, I was sixteen when I worked as a janitor for the Thneed Company. I made fast friends with the owner. We talked often about business about life and about many other things. He was only a few years older than me actually, though no doubt without proper care he looks much older. I was sixteen he was roughly . . . gosh 20 maybe.

"Me, after that, I suppose is what your really wondering about? I was just a geeky kid who needed money for college and got more than I bargained for. Once-ler was my first friend in my life. I was always short. I used to wear giant glasses before I got contacts and I had braces. I was just a looser. I was a typical average looser. But you know what Ted? When he and I were together, we weren't losers whose mothers both hated them. No, Ted. We were happy. I was happier as a janitor than as a business man.

"I missed him after his business went down the drain. He didn't want anyone to see him. So, I didn't. I don't think he wanted me or anyone else to see him . . . vulnerable? You're grandmother kept him alive. After I was unable to see him I felt . . . empty. I couldn't talk to him and he wanted to be alone so I built the wall. I thought I was doing him a service. Lord, I was so stupid. I was so focused on myself, myself and my company.

"You know Ted? I'm happy you planted it. I'm happy you saw him. I'm happy he met you. I'm happy he's happy. Heck, I'm happy you saw me!

"I'm happy, Ted. I haven't been happy for a long time. It was stupid of me to think I was. I just need the hate in the city to die down and I'll come back. I just need some time. Ted," he paused. "Please come back."

"I'll do more than that," Ted said with a smile. "I promise."

O'Hare smiled and Ted rode back to the Truffula Forest.

"I'll do you one better." Ted laughed and sped to the gas station before speeding (even faster) to the Lekrim. "He'll come. He'd better come. I'll MAKE him come. Because, it's time _someone _left his house."


	3. Rainy Days

**This was suggested by Fanfictionaddiction Once-ler and his dad.**

It was raining. He didn't particularly like rain. He heard the thunder crash and he ducked under his quilt.

Now quilts are normally made my grandmas and such right?

Wrong. This quilt was made just for him by his dad.

His dad was the best. He was the all around parent. He made food and he had a job as a doctor. He was amazing. His mother wished he would be full time but his father loved his children too much. So his mother, an accountant, worked extra hours because she felt they needed the money.

It wasn't lavish but Once-ler liked it life here was nice. He couldn't see it any other way. His two brothers were going to be born soon so his father forced his mother to take less hours. She then in turn forced him to take more. He was only about three so he was starting to get scared and restless.

Another crash of thunder was heard and the head ducked back under the blankets.

The third crash shut off the power. Once-ler started to cry.

The practice had closed early and Once-ler's father, Edward or Ed burst through the door.

No one knew where Once-ler got his height. His dad was fairly average and his mother was on the short side. Ed had dark hair it was brown, though nearly black, and he had dark cheerful brown eyes.

He lit a candle and grabbed a flashlight.

"Everybody okay?" he called.

"You're home early," his wife snapped.

"We closed early because of the storm. You alright?"

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"Alright, I'm going to check on Once-ler," he said.

"He's fine," she snapped again.

"Yeah, but you know how he feels about storms." Ed called.

He knocked on the door of his son's room and then pushed it open.

"Hey there kiddo," he said pulling back the blankets to reveal the crying three year old.

He smiled and set the candle on the side table.

"Come here," he said picking up the child. The two were wrapped in the blanket.

"Look here," Ed said with a large smile.

"Hm?" His son said wide eyed.

"These are marshmallows," his father grinned.

"Ooo," Once-ler reached out and his father put it in his hand.

The boy realized it was soft and fluffy. He looked at his father for confirmation and Ed grinned.

"Go on take a bite," he urged.

Once-ler let the sugary mass run over his tongue. He grinned with absolute delight.

His father laughed and took one for himself. His father also wrapped a green and pink scarf around his son's neck.

Once-ler snuggled into his father's side. In these moments he never knew that about three or four years later his mother would be dragging him kicking and screaming out of his father's outstretched arms. He never knew that these moments would be even more precious to him in the future.

He held his head in his hands when he noticed the look on Pipsqueak's face as it poured outside. The Barbaloot had gotten into his marshmallow stash.

"Squeaker," he said quietly, "Don't let these moments slip by. You never know when they'll be ripped away."


	4. Calls Me Home

**Named after a song by Shannon LaBaire called Calls me Home. It's a great song youtube it. It's fantastic.**

He wasn't sure why he was doing this. Why he was putting everyone he loved in danger to go see a crazy old guy. However, something about the Once-ler was just so captivating.

How did he live? What was it like before he left home? What was it like after his factory flopped? Where was his dad in the story? Was he ever in love? Why did he know so much about love?

And these were just questions Ted had after the story was done.

Ted came to the Once-ler's place a few weeks later. He rang the doorbell which had, finally, been changed.

Once-ler stepped out onto the porch. Ted nearly jumped into his arms.

"We did it." Ted whispered.

Once-ler shut his eyes and embraced Ted tightly.

"Yeah, we did didn't we," he smiled.

Ted had moved in for the summer. His mother was still uncertain as to why her son wanted to do this. All he'd said was.

"It calls me home."

What? She thought. What was home about this place?

Then she saw it.

Ted saw home in the embrace of the mustached man. Ted saw home in the stories and the late night cups of hot coco. Ted saw home in caring for the trees. Ted smelled home in the fresh pancakes and the sweet butterfly milk scent of the saplings.

"It calls me home." He said. "I make it home."

Once-ler saw a home in Ted's smile. He saw it in the boy's laugh. He saw it in the red scooter. He saw it in Ted's eyes. He found home in a forest with small animals to play with. He found home again in the teenage boy who was captivated by his stories.

Ted was lying on the porch while the Once-ler rocked on the rocker. The stars littered the sky for the first time in a long time. Then it began to rain. It was pure good rain.

"Oh my word," Once-ler whispered.

"What is that?" Ted asked.

"It's rain Ted," Once-ler whispered. "It's rain! Go on touch it."

Ted reached out his hand and the droplets fell on his hands. He put his face in it and then ran around in it.

"Careful of the saplings kiddo!" Once-ler called.

"I will," Ted hollered. He just stood there letting the water from the sky pour down it's wet kisses on him.

And since that day Ted calls Once-ler's Lekrim his home.


End file.
